


safe and sound

by ginasricky



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, If You Squint - Freeform, JJ (Outer Banks) Deserves Better, Kiara (Outer Banks) Needs a Hug, Mutual Pining, Unresolved Romantic Tension, also the jacey print is very evident, anyways soulmateisms, fineline shit this entire fic, i love them very much, i mean between the boat scene, its the joey/pacey blueprint pls, post 1x08, that's love your honor, the banter, the childhood friends that kinda got along, the spin hug, the way they lowkey read eachothers minds in this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:54:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24714892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginasricky/pseuds/ginasricky
Summary: "Kisses on the foreheads of the lovers wrapped in your arms, You’ve been hiding them in hollowed out pianos left in the dark" a look into what happened after Pope left JJ and Kie the dock after the fight. Post 1x08.
Relationships: JJ & Kiara (Outer Banks), JJ/Kiara (Outer Banks)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 70





	safe and sound

**Author's Note:**

> It's 5am and JJ and Kie (and jjpope, I'm definitely gonna be writing for them soon) live in my mind rent free so here's the product of that. This one shot is a take on the emotional deleted scene that was between JJ and Kie after Pope left on the boat along with a bit of their history for fun :). If this feels in anyway incomplete or like there's more to what's going on I promise it's not you this its actually apart of a larger 5+ things one shot I'm writing, that's coming soon. I just thought since it's my take on what happened in that specific episode and it's a deleted scene that I could just post that now as it's own thing. I listened to 'apocalypse' by cigarettes after sex and Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift along with 'the last time' by her as well as 'good looking' by Suki Waterhouse. All great songs to get you in the feels with this fic, do with that what you will. Enjoy! don't forget to share, comment, give kudos <3.

"Well everything's shit now" The blonde haired boy exclaims.

JJ ran his hands through his hair practically throughout the entire conversation, he figures what's one more time now that Pope is speeding away on his boat farther and farther from the dock, away from JJ and Kie. Although he had an inkling it would somehow end up this way.

Pope was the golden boy, destined for greatness. Always one foot out the door somewhere the Pogues wouldn't reach him (maybe Kiara would if she ever decides college is her thing). JJ hopes that one day they'll be enough for him, although sometimes he doubts it. He'll come around though, he always does. Pope could never really stay mad at any of them especially Kiara. 

His blue eyes tear away from the scene when Kiara lets out a frustrated sigh and kicks at an invisible pebble on the dock. She's turned away from him, from where Pope once was on the boat, and JJ wonders if she remembers he's here.

It seems she does remember when she spells out another frustration with her words, "Why do guys have to be so...ugh-" she turns to JJ in a flash and fixes her gaze on to him as if hoping he'd answer. JJ's taken back; his blue eyes now wide, resist the urge to turn behind him, as if she was asking anyone else on the dock. She might as well have. John B was always the one that seemingly faired better with these conversations, hell even Sarah would've done better in this situation than JJ and her and Kiara had only just started talking again. 

Kiara's temper was never something anyone wanted to be on the other side of, it lashed out at you like waves crashing, loud, powerful, and natural like nothing could stop her. In some way, JJ always felt he could connect to her in that light because his temper was his own force, like fire ready to consume any feasible threat, fierce and blazing with a heat that promised an end to the conversation in question as soon as the feeling came. 

He chances a step closer to her and scratches the back of his head before opening his mouth to respond when she beats him to it. "I mean where the hell does he get off? Talking about how it's 'always about John B' What's that supposed to mean?" Kiara is nearly yelling now, her arms flailing with her words. JJ leans back to the dock railing where he sat and watched her nearly scream the same thing at Pope just minutes ago, _I'm tired of hearing the same shit_ the blonde thinks to himself. A sigh passes his lips and he has to resist the urge to run his hand through his hair again as the exhaustion of the day settles. 

JJ watches her go off on her tirade before his gaze drifts back to the water and see's that she's moving swiftly like the tides beneath them and speaking passionately like she knows what she's saying to be true. It's in complete contradiction with the confusion mused on her features, Kie shakes her head and bites her lip. Something she does when she doesn't know what do to next. JJ's seen it enough times whenever the gang is in a bind that can't be solved with alcohol and Pope's nerdy persona, the corner of her lip disappears. _Alright time to put mama out of her misery_.

JJ realizes that he's not the only one that's tired so his gaze drifts back up to her, "You shouldn't feel guilty for not being there after John B's dad went missing." Kie's arms are crossed and her eyes snap from the water to his, at the statement. The natural blue hue of his eyes seem brighter closer to the water, it's obvious even at night at least to her. Her lips part in response, JJ sighs again and looks away.

The fireflies are starting to come out more frequently now in the heat of the summer nights and he can hear the crickets in tune with the lull of the water. He wants to tell her that it was hard but they got through it. He wants to tell her about the times that Pope had to talk John B down from executing some crazy scheme with sound logic or the times that JJ stayed over and heard him cry alone in his room when he thought JJ was asleep. He wants to tell her that she wasn't the only person in his life to leave but the only one to come back and actually give a shit. JJ's never really been good with the emotional stuff so the words don't come easy, or at all.

If JJ wasn't right about the guilt Kie carried he'd be hearing a dramatic scoff from her and an earful about assuming what women feel and how it connected to the patriarchy, white male fragility, and all that. But she didn't, _maybe for once, I was right, huh_. 

Upon meeting his eyes again she remembers to breathe so she swallows whatever she was going to say before, not that she could remember it now and lets the question blaring in her mind since he spoke tumble out of her mouth. 

"How did you-" Her face is curious but her eyes are slightly squinted and her arms are still crossed, defensive yet so openly vulnerable in her tone. The question comes out too fragile for Kie's liking that she's almost glad he interrupts.

"I know you Kie" it comes out soft like he doesn't want her to break or run away from this because even though she's the toughest person JJ had ever met he'd never heard her voice this delicate before. He can't help but shake his head and lightly scoff when the moment passes and she breaks away from his gaze, _of course, she's running away_.

A silence settles over the pair and JJ isn't sitting on the railing anymore, he's standing some feet away from her while her eyes rest on the tide moving. He doesn't really know what he wants from her but he sure as hell didn't want her to just stand there and maybe it was a little unfair to expect her to give when he doesn't even know what he wants but he's tired, the day's events caught up to him. His eyebrows raise slightly before falling back down, nodding, JJ decides to go. _Fuck this, fuck feelings_. 

"I'm sorry" Kiara whispers it and her eyes trail from the water beneath them back up to him slowly, full of an emotion he can't quite place but it looks like tears are gonna fall from them. JJ's found himself stunned in his place, not really knowing how to proceed only knowing he doesn't want to see Kie cry. He takes a tentative step further instead of away like he was planning seconds ago, more careful in his movements than she's witnessed in a while or ever. 

JJ's eyebrows furrow in the way that he does when he's confused so before he can respond, Kie takes a breath. "I know that you were the angriest with me for leaving like your mom did during my...' kook year' ." It's her taking a step toward him now, Kie's arms no longer crossed. Her eyes heavy and unyielding from his, "Pope still treated me the same way he always had, John B was hesitant but let me back in without a beat and your right, because of that I felt or feel guilty about not being there for him when he needed me, when you guys needed me..." She trails off and lets out a sigh, kicking another invisible pebble on the dock. For some reason, some part of him thinks it's so she doesn't look him in the eye for too long. 

"And you...you wouldn't talk to me for weeks."

"Kie-" None of this it's what either of them expected, none of anything that's happened these past couple of weeks is what they expected so maybe in a roundabout way this makes sense. Like it was bound to happen at some point. Regardless they have way more to worry about than rehashing old shit, so he tries to intervene by calling her name and shaking his head. Only then does he remember Kiara Carrera is her own force. 

"It was like when I first joined the pogues all over again and you didn't trust me because you thought I was just a stupid kook looking for fun on the cut. The teasing, the little snide remarks, icing me out. You remember that?" There's a small smile resting on her lips while she says it, something akin to fondness alights her face while she decidedly sits on the wooden dock. JJ's expression changes warily as he crouches down and adjusts his legs to sit on the dock with her. 

Those weren't exactly the best of times, he was a dick to her. Most of the time when he would make those snide comments John B would fix him a look and Pope would smack him upside the head, while his dad would drunkenly yell at him late at night to bring his mother back and beat him blue when he couldn't. Not the greatest times. 

"I never called you stupid." He nearly pours. That part of her recollections bothers him because JJ has never thought her of all people was stupid. She was easily up there with Pope when it came down to who the head of the class was at least before she went to the kook academy. 

"But you thought it," Kie responds, eyeing her freshly manicured toes barely touch the water's surface. _No, I didn't,_ JJ want's to say it. That he had his own shit happening back in the hell hole he called home and it was just his natural response to his safe place, _his home_ , _his pogues_ being threatened with a new person entering the group, with change. He wants to tell her that once he let her in, it felt like that's how it was always supposed to be. That she was family, _his family._ But all that ends up coming out is _,_ "I apologized for all that." He says in a small voice that's not characteristic of him at all, it makes her turn to him and eye his profile looking toward the stars.

"I know" Kiara has to fight the fond smile making it's way to her face again when she thinks of the truce they made after she passed the (totally not real thing they did before she got there) initiation ritual, how it was the first time she'd actually seen him smile _at her_. "I just mean when I came back and you started talking to me again I was happy just like when you first accepted me as a pogue. and I'm so glad you did because I know I don't tell you this much, and not to get sappy and shit," _little late for that Carrera,_ JJ thinks about saying it aloud. Giving her an out to this conversation where she can scoff at his interruption and he can flirt with her and she can roll her eyes and lightly hit him but not before flirting right back. Where they can get right back into the flow of things instead of whatever this is. But the soft tone of her voice and the way the moonlight is reflecting off her skin stops him. "-but your one of my best friends and I care about you a lot." She finishes, quickly glancing over at him.

JJ was used to being on the receiving ends of Kie's tirades and rants but this was different. Her eyes show nothing but conviction and truth in what she's saying and it hard to look at anything else. She kicks her feet along the water and their hands rest close to one another on the wooden dock, looking a bit hesitant in what she wants to say next.

"That's why I'm sorry I didn't see what was going on at home sooner." And just like that it's like a bucket of ice water is dumped on him, the warm feeling at the pit of his stomach spreading like wildfire responding to her voice turning into a small flicker of light, barely there. Lying dormant beneath the surface. JJ feels his lips part when he finally meets her eyes and see's that she was already looking to him.

"Kie you don't have to-" He breathes out with a sigh because she really doesn't. No one can stop this but his asshole dad why should she feel responsible? 

"But I do...I'm sorry." Her eyes spell out her guilt and they’re close to tears. He wraps an arm around her and pulls her close, her head on his shoulder, closing the distance between them. "I know you JJ" She whispers. The blonde shutters in response and it's not because of the breeze the night graced them. Somehow she was able to know what he wanted; because even though sorry didn't do much and he's always been a person of action it's nice to hear he's got people in his corner that knows what's going on. It was nice to know that night at the hot tub wasn't a one-time thing. 

They sit in silence for a while hearing the crickets chirp and the water, wrapped up in one another for an unprecedented amount of time. JJ decides it's time to go when he notices her eyes flutter shut and her head sink further into his neck, feeling her let out a breath on his skin. She smells like jasmine and peaches, familiar like the beach and before he can get caught up in it he clears his throat, "Who knows maybe by the end of all this we might actually start to get along." 

"Let's not get crazy." Kie moves from her position on his shoulder and fixes him a look, oddly enough he misses the warmth. Her hand now inches away from where his rest on the dock again. 

"Why? Am I not one of your best friends who you care a lot about?"JJ replies with a faux gasp between the words. He see's her roll her eyes and mutter an _okay_ , before she gets up and starts walking back to his bike. "You know I feel like the only natural steps to be taken in such a close friendship like ours is nakedness. I mean think-" He can't even get through the statement because as they walk she pushes him and his feet nearly reach the edge of the dock. She's walking ahead of him while he cackles behind her, catching up from his imposed near fall. 

"Asshole." She mutters, and her mind tries to convince her she means it and it's not at all dripping with fondness. _Not at all,_ because only JJ Maybank of all people would take her words out of context to try and make her laugh.

"You love me." Kiara tries her best to down the smile working it's way to her face and she thinks she hears his stride behind her quicken.

He's only a couple paces behind her now, carefree grin and mischievous blue eyes shining despite the night surrounding them, softening when she turns to look back at him. _Yeah, I do._

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Like I mentioned before in the opening notes this is apart of a larger 5+ things fic I'm writing for jiara. This part specifically is just my take on the supposed deleted emotional scene between JJ and Kie after the fight with Pope at the dock as well as the history between them and the pogues. Sorry if this was a bit more friendship based but this is based on a s1 ep, I tried to throw some romantic hints in there. I sprinkled in some joey/pacey (Dawson's creek) hints in there too at the end with the one arm hug at the dock and JJ saying maybe they'll get along, they are jacey's predecessors so kudos to you if you caught that. Speaking of which don't forget to give kudos:) Let me know what you think in the comments! it really does help, thank you 💕


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